


From the Heart

by TheWorkoftheHeart



Category: One Piece
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Sanji Is Not A Vinsmoke, THAT'S A TAG NOW BTW!!! WE DID IT, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, references to demi luffy!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:42:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26796805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWorkoftheHeart/pseuds/TheWorkoftheHeart
Summary: A prequel to "'Til Morning Comes".Sanji was everything he’d ever dreamed of, and was a hopeless romantic to boot. He’d absolutely melt at a heartfelt confession about love and dreams and wishes, and Usopp wondered if he could meet this standard that only he alone had set up for himself.
Relationships: Usopp/Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 6
Kudos: 73





	From the Heart

_I’ve been in love with you ever since I first met you._

Those were the words Usopp was going to say; or, at least, he planned to. The words were tucked away somewhere in the greater plans for his speech to make his love confession even more picturesque and divine; his life around Sanji felt almost like a movie, scenes of them alone together moved in slow-motion, and Usopp saw no need to ruin that atmosphere with words that felt clumsy and overgrown in thought.

It wasn’t that he was trying to make up for something. No, he wanted to make the moment _perfect_. Sanji was everything he’d ever dreamed of, and was a hopeless romantic to boot. He’d absolutely melt at a heartfelt confession about love and dreams and wishes, and Usopp wondered if he could meet this standard that only he alone had set up for himself.

He tossed another paper to the side. “’s not good,” Usopp muttered beneath his breath, pulling his notebook closer to his chest as he worked. The words felt wrong when he read back over them. He was a wonderful storyteller, a warrior who could fabricate even the simplest of things and they’d end up coming true right under his nose-- so _why_ , of all things, did something as simple as an “I love you” feel so difficult to pin?

The Going Merry was at a standstill today. The crew had found a path from which the ship never swayed, staying in motion with the Log Pose and leading them closer and closer to the sailor’s city of Jaya. The weather was warm and inviting-- surprisingly, it was Nami who ushered the crew to lower the anchor and allow them a little breathing room to embrace the spring-summer heat. Usopp had initially planned to work on his love letter outside by the gardens; however, after a hat-clad captain’s nosiness had led him to leer over the paper with wide eyes, Usopp had deemed it safer to work indoors.

He knew, deep down, his captain wouldn’t laugh at him. Perhaps Luffy would even try to _help_ him-- but romances were complicated for Luffy. He was new to the experience of crushes altogether, and even when he had them, he took no time in blatantly stating his emotions with complete transparency. It was something Usopp deeply envied. It would make this entire situation _so much easier_ if he could bring himself to just spit it out, but somehow, it felt as though surrounding the words would cushion the blow if for whatever reason the obviously-smitten chef were to turn him down. 

Usopp had no question Sanji was in love with him. In fact, it was Sanji who seemed to notice it last of all. The way he looked to Robin and Nami was miles different than how he looked to him. With the ladies, he’d hum out compliments, smiling at every single word they said and giving them their meals before anyone else’s. But when Sanji looked to Usopp, the difference between admiration and love was absolutely palpable. Sanji’s eyes would glisten when Usopp spoke, he’d smile unknowingly at the little things, his cheeks would go pink when they would meet each other’s glances. Usopp swore he witnessed the day Sanji caught himself, and the realization that overtook his features made his chest fill with butterflies.

The paper ripped under Usopp’s pen tip. Frustrated, he tore the sheet in half, tossing both fragments into the bin by his feet. Forget the speech. He’d do it from the heart, without planning-- despite how nervous the prospect of that made him.

Usopp stood from his desk and made his way outside, feeling the crisp air embrace his features and the sunlight dress him in warmth. He could hear Luffy’s excited shouting from somewhere across the deck as Nami sharply turned a corner with what appeared to be a water gun; Robin, a few feet away from the door Usopp left from, just chuckled at the sight.

“You’ve been missing out on the show,” she hummed, glancing at Usopp from over her sunglasses. 

“Yeah, well,” Usopp began, “I’ve been... kinda in the middle of something.”

Robin just gave a knowing smile, turning back to her book with attentive eyes. A few extra arms sprouted out from her grasp, pointing in the direction of the kitchen. “Sanji’s making lunch. He’s not been in there long. Everyone’s busy, so now would be your best chance.”

He was always grateful for Robin. He rushed out a “thanks” as he moved towards the kitchen, ducking in the door before he could be spotted by any of the other members of his all-too-curious crew.

The kitchen was Sanji’s home. It smelled of seafood and cigarettes and citrus sweets, only peppered in with a bit of the sea breeze that came from one of the open port windows. A pan hissed on the stove as oil sputtered into it, and Usopp heard Sanji humming, his voice deep and smooth in his throat.

By God, just his voice alone made him breathless. Every word Usopp had been dwelling upon completely left him, his head going quiet in the desire to hear his melody.

Usopp stood in the doorway and watched for a few moments. Sanji worked over his meals like it was second nature, and yet he was so meticulous; he’d paint ingredients in butter like an artist on canvas, or place herbs atop vegetables as though hanging decorations on a fragile tree. When Sanji moved to dice onions, the movement was repetitive and rhythmic, each slice creating even pieces that stayed perfectly in place as though it had never moved at all. Usopp watched Sanji’s hands-- Sanji’s perfect hands-- clear the cutting board into the pan, listening to the soothing sear of cold against heat. 

Sanji had taken a glance to the side to pull his cigarette from his lips when he noticed Usopp watching him. He sputtered on his exhale, coughed into the collar of his shirt; Usopp hurried over to his side, worried he’d just made Sanji choke. He soothed him away with the gentle brush of a hand, though, leaning over the ashtray on one of the empty counters and packing the ash into it.

“Sorry, Usopp, you scared me,” Sanji assured, chuckling for what it was worth. “How long have you been standing there for?”

“Not long,” Usopp admitted, though deep down it felt like he’d been intruding. Sanji smirked at him playfully.

“What, you wanted to see a first-class chef in action?” He pulled the cigarette back to his lips, breathing the smoke out through the thinnest trail. “I don’t blame you. It’s art, you see, it’s a lot of fine handiwork.”

“I can see that,” came the reply, before Usopp shook his head to bring himself back to awareness. He came in here for a specific reason. He needed to tell Sanji, or he feared he’d talk himself out of it and he simply never would. “I... I wanted to talk to you about something, Sanji.”

The chef blinked, and shuffled his weight-- he was nervous, and Usopp couldn’t blame him. “Is everything alright?”

Usopp shot him a nervous smile. “Everything’s absolutely fine! I just... I don’t know. I can’t seem to get the words out, is the thing. Maybe I’ve thought over it too much.”

Sanji’s cheeks flushed, and he swallowed, listening closer. “Is that so?”

“Yeah. I... I want to say it, but I can’t find the proper words to tell you, I guess.”

There was a moment of silence. Usopp tried to let his mind comply with his wishes, to bring forward the words that felt so hard and yet were so simple, before he heard Sanji laugh. It tore him from his thoughts and he brought his attention to Sanji’s face-- he was nervous beyond all belief, but he was _smiling_ , and that smile would be etched into his memory forever.

“Then don’t tell me,” came Sanji’s answer. Usopp almost froze in his place.

“What?”

“If it’s so hard to say, then don’t tell me,” Sanji repeated, before finishing. “Just show me.”

If Usopp had known it would be this simple, he would’ve told him years ago. Usopp made his way over to Sanji, feeling like he was in slow-motion all over again; he took in his eyes, the flush of his cheeks, the absolute love in his stare. He waited until they were close enough before carefully removing the cigarette from Sanji’s lips, holding it between his own fingers, letting Sanji exhale the smoke, and then... 

Usopp kissed him. At first, neither of them really moved to make anything of it-- after a moment, though, Usopp wrapped his free arm around Sanji’s waist, pulling him a little closer. Sanji wrapped one arm around Usopp’s waist and placed his other hand on his chest, feeling his rapid heartbeat slow to match the one pressed against him. The taste of smoke was uncomfortable, but Usopp couldn’t will himself to pull away. It all felt like magic.

Finally, though, they did. Usopp leaned back and eased out of Sanji’s touch, and Sanji’s hand trailed to Usopp’s to exchange cigarettes between their fingers. Sanji put what was left of it into the ashtray as Usopp cleared his throat, coughing softly into his elbow.

“Sorry,” Sanji offered with a smile. “Smoker’s breath.”

“It’s alright, I’ll get used to it,” Usopp assured. “Anything to kiss you again.” Sanji’s face flushed even deeper and he hid his face in his hands.

“You can’t just be all sappy on me like that, I’m not prepared for it!”

“If you’re wanting to date me, you’ll just have to get used to it.” Usopp paused, thought, spoke. “ _Do_ you want to date me?”

Sanji’s face relaxed, and their eyes met. Usopp didn’t know one could feel so wholly loved with just a glance. “Of course I do.”

Usopp beamed. “Then that settles it! Now, Mr. First-Class Chef, do you mind showing me how exactly you cook before you burn lunch?”

“Shit!”

Sanji moved to hurry to the stove, while Usopp fell into laughter. Sanji laughed as well, and the noise felt warm and reverberated in the pits of Usopp’s chest. Perhaps he hadn’t confessed like some grand movie, but based on the way things were right now, he knew that would be the least of his worries.

**Author's Note:**

> I loved "'Til Morning Comes" too much to leave it as a one-off. I wanted to model this fic after the love story Usopp told in this one, as this is where it originates from. SanUso is officially one of my favorite couples to write and I am OBSESSED with their dynamic; I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did!
> 
> Follow me on my Twitter, @hanahana_no__mi!
> 
> Thank you, and lots of love!


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